Bab 20: Buckman's Day Out
It was a very sci-fi laboratory with shiny equipment and computer screens flashing numerous data all the time. Savant and Sage were moving through the clutter of glassware, computers, and equipment flawlessly with grace as if they were dancing to a ballad.
"The effect of super soldier serum that Captain America took was said to enhance the personalities of whoever took it. Red Skull became villainous and the Captain became the hero. But this Sentry serum is far stronger than we imagined, so it is no wonder the Void was born." Sage lamented while looking at some papers.
Savant nodded, "This is still with Robert who has justice and righteousness at heart. Imagine what would happen if a thug got it? But we will find a way to weaken this personality-strengthening portion. I don't want to face a dark version of me."
Sage leaned back on the chair with a slight arch, licked her lips, and winked at Savant beside her, "But I want to see what the dark side inside you looks like."
Savant rolled his eyes at her actions which he had become used to during the past couple of months. After the first session with Robert, Savant had taken some blood from him on the pretext of regular checkups.
Since then, he had been spending most of his free time in the lab studying the serum in Robert's blood. Sage would come by more often and help him with experiments and research after handing over the non-essential work to a group of secretaries she had been training.
"I want to crack the phase-shifting effect and find out how his atoms are shifting on the temporal level and reaching into the next instant of the future. It's as if his atoms are going back and forth between this timeline and the timeline of the next instant at all times.
I think the energy of Sentry comes from that very imperceptible moment when his atoms are moving back and forth. In between those unobservable moments, maybe he reaches into the mythical dimension of one million exploding suns." Savant theorized while sighing at the workload.
"What is the dimension of one million exploding suns?" Sage was confused.
Savant smiled at her, "I have heard a story that the Sentry can have the power of a million exploding suns and his power comes from tapping into a distant and unknown dimension where a million stars continuously explode and get created."
Sage looked dumbfounded. As her name suggests, she is quite knowledgeable in many fields. So she understands what it means to have a single star explode. Not to mention the power of a million of them.
"That sounds like a made-up story. It shouldn't be possible." She retorted.
Savant just shook his head with a wry smile. It is indeed very difficult for most to accept a person having such an unimaginable level of power. The greatest threat this world had seen was an invasion of Thanos the mad Titan and his army a couple of years back.
But Thanos didn't even have the infinity stones at the time and he was promptly defeated by the heroes of Earth and even ended up being killed and sent to Death's realm. That is a story for another time though.
"Made up or not, we will have enough to study for a few more months with this. Add to that our existing projects and we will have our hands full at all times, so don't daydream and help me check this data." Savant jokingly scolded Sage and they went back to their research.
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In the meeting room of the Hellfire Club's inner circle, a group of very wealthy and very powerful people in the world were in the midst of a very heated discussion. Hellfire Club was the kind of secret society that ordinary people like to make conspiracies about.
Only, the conspiracies were real. These people would make decisions that would affect America as a whole and the world as well to some extent through this Club. The members of this club included the richest businessmen, politicians, scientists, and leaders of different fields.
The Club had an inner circle which was the club within the club that controlled other members. The most powerful and influential members were part of this inner circle. Unbeknownst to many, the club also housed many mutant members.
After all, mutant powers are more often than not helpful in gathering resources and influence and rising above ordinary people. Prominent examples of this were Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost and the most powerful mutant sorceress in the club Selene.
Selene could absorb life force from people, through which she had lived for over 15,000 years. It was easy to imagine the kind of resources and knowledge she had gathered. She was also the one with the most power within the club and was targeted quite often for it.
"I am very sure this time. The source is credible. It was the mutant hero of India who has been on the rise in the past half year who killed Sebastian Shaw as well as John Sublime." Edward Buckman, who had recently risen in the political world as a Senator spoke in excitement.
"Are you saying that the Indian government is attacking us? And what is your so-called proof?" Selene asked impatiently. She was aware of Buckman's recent moves at grabbing power in the Club. He wanted to be the sole controller of Hellfire Club. After becoming a Senator, he was inflated more than usual.
"I can't say whether it is the Indian government or some other force. But here are reports that show that the bodies that were charred by Surya and the charred bodies of Shaw and Sublime show remarkable similarities." Buckman threw a pile of papers on the table.
Shinobi Shaw snorted and interrupted Buckman's show, "Everything that is charred at a high enough heat will look the same. How does this prove anything? You want the Club to waste resources by attacking a country now?"
"Heh, your indifference at Sebastian's death tells me that you have a hand in this as well. How else would someone appear in his private study room so easily? Anyway, I also dug up the past of this so-called mutant hero and guessed what I found.
This Surya is a total psychopathic arsonist who had once burned down a whole village of 65 people but the incompetent Indian police never found out the culprit. Only after I sent my men to investigate did we uncover this." Buckman said with a hint of pride in his voice.
"You think any government would be stupid enough to turn a murderer into a hero? Especially now that the Indians have their 'Trimurti' as mutant lapdogs at their beck and call?" Selene asked in disdain. She couldn't tell how a stupid guy like Buckman reached his position.
Buckman knew that if he wanted to take control of the Hellfire Club then he had to shake Selene's power and prove his own superiority. So, he decided to take a gamble. He was going to go capture this Surya himself and find out the truth, thus elevating his position in the Club by removing a threat.
This wasn't a gamble per se, since he had been secretly funding a project to deal with the mutants and the prototype of the mutant killing robots, The Sentinel, had been tested to have great performance.
Bolivar Trask had delivered on his promise. And this was the perfect chance to take it out on a field test to gather data on real combat outside the controlled lab environment.
"I will personally go to India and get to the bottom of this. I will eliminate Surya and any others who are behind this attack on our Club members." He tried his best to make sure his indignant righteous words were resounding in all members' ears.
"I didn't know you were suicidal. Going to India to confront a guy with the power to burn down a concrete building." Shinobi spoke in a teasing voice.
"How I do it is my business! You just wait for a result." Buckman stood up and left in a huff.
When he reached the door, he heard the cold voice of Selene, "Whatever you do, don't implicate the club due to your stupidity."
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A month later, a piece of explosive news spread throughout the world. The US Senator Buckman and General Carver of the US Army who are suspected of belonging to some secret organization, tried and succeeded in assassinating the beloved mutant hero of India, Surya.
The Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao sent out his statement to the world: {Not only did the two representatives from the USA keep undermining our efforts at reconciling the differences between mutants and humans. They actively wanted to sabotage our policies to make India a tolerant country. After failing to change our firm stance of unity, they tried to use the same tactics they use in their country.
They wanted to use a robot to cause a massacre and then blame it on Surya and other mutants. Thankfully, Surya figured out their plans and fought the robot, and saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, in the process, Surya had to sacrifice his life.
His brilliance was short-lived but he will continue to illuminate our hearts and the future generations to come. We are all Indians, some more blessed than others, but we stand together. We stand together against the tyranny of the West. We stand together against their divisive tactics. We had been divided once, fought among ourselves, and lived under their despotic rule, but no more.
I call upon all our citizens, don't give in to hate. Don't fight your fellow friends. They want to divide us so we will stand firmer together. The enemy isn't among us, they are outside, waiting for us to self-destruct by fighting among ourselves.}
The impassioned speech of PM Rao was not a bland speech like those of other heads of state. His speech played over clips of videos.
Videos of Buckman smuggling the peculiar robot into the country, meeting secretly with policymakers, the robot fighting Surya, Surya being pinned by the robot and Buckman standing over the defeated Surya with a gloating smile, a woman appearing from a portal and saying something to Surya and finally Surya exploding into a sun. All of these clips were played while PM Rao spoke.
Hundreds of millions of Indians were boiling over with anger or crying at the loss of the hero who had recently become the light of hope for them in this bleak world. From fighting street thugs, terrorists to even arresting corrupt politicians, Surya had left a massive impact on them.
Of course, a few intelligent people had seen through the government propaganda of promoting Surya but he was still their hero who fought for them.
The world politics on that day was like a powder keg, ready to blow up at any time and create a huge storm of fire.
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Author here, I was going through the novel rankings and saw that an NTR fanfic has more stones than me. I can only mourn for this world. Anyway, throw the stones at me. Don't be degenerate.
Also, to read 5+ chapters ahead of here, get on Patreon. It will help me a lot to write more.
patreon.com/pytewriter
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